The other day, I happened upon a dating show on the television. On the show, two dating want-a-be contestants were in a car together going to their next date location. The woman turns to the man driving and says: “If you treat me like your queen then I will treat you like my king.” The man did not verbally respond to the statement but presumably made some other comments later. I didn’t see any more of the show after that.
The next day, as I was driving toward my day job, I found myself replaying the lines from that conversation. It troubled me. It seemed somehow not quite right, not quite a good attitude to express. I couldn’t put my mental fingers on the slippery feelings of disturbance but my spirit was churning. It didn’t take long for the churning to become an obvious point.
Consider, for a moment, that the woman represents a new convert and the man represents Christ. The relationship is one of newness and mutual ‘feeling out’ what the other is like. Christ has never known the convert before. The want-a-be bride of Christ convert is just beginning to ride in the spirit with the one who is driving. Christ is eager to have a relationship. The convert is eager for … what? Ah yes. What can Christ do for ME! Is that not what the average Christian has been trained to expect? God is there for ME! “If HE will treat me as a QUEEN”, is at the heart of religious thought. We may not say it in exactly those words, but we do mean it that way in our hearts. What is the church doing for me? Am I treated importantly? Can I use its resources for MY benefit? Am I being treated with respect? Can I do whatever I DECIDE and get the ‘authority’ to accept that? If the answer to that becomes YES then the convert says, “ok, now I will treat you with respect due your position”. And the convert is not satisfied with what did He do YESTERDAY. No. No. No. The QUEEN wants Him to shower her with flowers NOW, healings NOW, money NOW, miracles NOW, everything NOW. Today is the measuring rod. It’s a date by date relationship in the converts mind.
Now expand this symbolical imagery just a little wider. The woman is the whole church. The man is still Christ. Now what? Are we still serving Christ with cloaked motives? Are we withholding our adoration, praise, respect, and loyalty UNTIL He first demonstrates how he is going to treat US? Is He KING first and we the submitted Queen at HIS side carrying out the duties HE has decided upon? Or are we more like the Queen of the bug kingdom — expecting all the kingdom drones to serve our needs? He has PROMISED to take care of His ENTIRE kingdom. We are part of the kingdom; however, let us never forget the Scriptural condition which says, “Seek ye first the kingdom and righteousness OF HIM” (Matt. 6:33 lit). He is KING first. He will treat us as His true Queen when we respect HIM first.
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti, Th.M. 2/112001